Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tosnóidh mise leis na ceisteanna. Déarfaidh mé ar dtús go bhfuil an-jab déanta ag Údarás na Gaeltachta ó thaobh postanna a chruthú sna ceantair Ghaeltachta thar timpeall na tíre. Níl dabht faoi sin. Níl gá ach na ceantair sin a chur i gcomparáid leis na ceantair tuaithe taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht. De ghnáth, bíonn easpa infeistíocht agus ganntanas gnóthaí sna háiteanna eile sin. Bhí mé i gConamara cúpla seachtain ó shin, áit a bhfuil saghas ecosystem meáin cruthaithe ann. Chonaic mé an méid atá ar siúl ag Ros na Rún agus Telegael. Is cuimhin liom cúpla bliain ó shin nuair a tharla an infheistíocht sin go ndúirt a lán daoine sna meáin cumarsáide gur airgead curtha amú a bhí ann ó thaobh na teanga de. Hollywood beag atá ann anois leis an méid sin rudaí ag teacht as an áit agus an méid daoine atá ann.

Ciallaíonn sé sin go dtagann tairbhe as an infheistíocht sin freisin. Caithfimid a rá freisin go bhfuil dúshlán uafásach ag an nGaeltacht mar gheall ar an dúshlán eacnamaíochta agus dúshlán na teanga atá ann. Bhí beirt academics os comhair an choiste cúpla seachtain ó shin. Dar leo, níl ach deich mbliain fágtha ag an nGaeilge mar theanga phobal sa Ghaeltacht as seo amach. Cuireann sé sin scanradh orainn freisin.

Tá achrann ann san Oireachtas faoi bhuiséad Údarás na Gaeltachta. Cad é an titim atá tagtha ar an mbuiséad reatha agus ar an mbuiséad caipitil ó bhí 2008 ann? Cad é an t-airgead iomlán atá ag an údarás i mbliana agus a bhí ann an bhliain seo caite? Tá dream amháin ag rá go bhfuil titim ann agus dream eile ag rá go bhfuil fás ann sa bhuiséad. Ní féidir an dá rud a bheith fíor.

Cén ról atá ag an Rialtas nó ag an Stát sa language shift atá ann sa Ghaeltacht? Chuala mé le déanaí go raibh an Rialtas ag fáil réidh leis an riachtanas go mbeadh Gaeilge ag daoine atá ag obair i leabharlanna thart timpeall na tíre agus sa Ghaeltacht freisin. Cad a chiallaíonn an méid Béarla atá á labhairt sna scoileanna sa Ghaeltacht? Níl an polasaí faoi Gaeilge sna scoileanna Gaeltachta foilsithe fós. Cad é meon an údaráis faoi sin? Cad atá á dhéanamh ag an údarás ó thaobh Brexit de? Cé mhéad daoine atá ag obair air sin chun cabhrú leis na comhlachtaí? Cad is féidir leis an údarás a dhéanamh maidir leis sin?

Tosnóidh muid leis na ceisteanna ar fad. Mar sin, cuirfidh mé ceisteanna anois ar ionadaithe an Western Development Commission freisin.

The Western Development Commission does fantastic work. It is a great model and it is surprising that it is not replicated in other parts of the country. We have spoken to representatives of organisations at different levels, be they Leader programmes etc., and they have said they work very well and that they do not overlap with the commission's function in that space. Sometimes certain infrastructure has a very long-term repayment to the State. If there is not an organisation such as the Western Development Commission, it is hard to anchor the investment for that type of structure.

One of the most interesting figures I have found recently is that in Britain, solar power created more electricity in the past six months than coal. It shows the development of renewable energy in Britain and can be compared with here. In truth, the solar sector has not started here. Biomass was mentioned. Could the representatives put more meat on the bones with regard to observations on those two sectors? What developments could they play in the Western Development Commission's area with regard to jobs and attracting business?

What kind of budgetary challenges is the Western Development Commission facing? Údarás na Gaeltachta has had its budgets fairly well sliced and diced over recent years. What kind of budgets has the commission experienced? Is there money outstanding to the commission in any fashion at the moment with regard to the building of its own particular infrastructure and capital projects?

I understand that the way the commission's interaction happens currently is that its engagement with Europe, for example, goes through the translation service of the Departments here. Would it be more beneficial for the commission if it could have more independence and freedom to negotiate with the European Union without having to go through that translation service?

Will the commission tell us what engagement it has had with State services or Departments with regard to spatial planning? The commission mentioned that assets would be necessary for the development of the regions. I hold this view strongly as well. Investment in infrastructure without a spatial plan is directionless, headless chicken investment in infrastructure. It is only when we know where our chief cities, towns and industries and specific sectors will be located that the decisions on investment in infrastructure will be logical. What of the need for disruptive infrastructure? Given population trends in the State, with which we do not agree, currently we are chasing our tail on infrastructure investment. How do we disrupt those trends?

Tógfaimid na ceisteanna go léir ar dtús mar a rinneamar cheana. Is féidir leis na finnéithe teacht isteach ansan.